Prime Minister
Tony Abbott
is due to announce a drought aid package next week but part of his tour to stricken areas on the weekend had to be cancelled because of the rain.

Rain lashed the town of Bourke in western NSW as Mr Abbott arrived at a 40,000 hectare cattle property with agriculture Minister
Barnaby Joyce
to promote the package for drought-stricken farmers in need of debt relief, income support and social services.

Part of the Prime Minister’s tour, a visit to a property in the south-western Queensland town of Longreach, planned for Sunday afternoon, was cancelled because of the rain.

“It doesn’t mean that the drought is over," Mr Abbott said.

“I am confident that we are close to announcing a drought package which is both fair and economically responsible because for the people living in drought affected areas it is really akin to a natural disaster."

Mr Abbott refused to say if he had Cabinet support for the drought assistance package, but said he expected it to be signed off by next week.

“I want to stress that the final package will be fair but it will be economically responsible," Mr Abbott said.

“At some point in the future we won’t be exporting so much iron ore but by god we want to be exporting plenty of foodstuffs to the growing middle class of Asia.